The Reaction
by rcl123321
Summary: This is my take on what should have happened when Max saw Fang and Lissa kissing in 'Schools Out-Forever'.


**I know it has been done a lot, but I wanted to throw my ideas in there. So here is my version of what I wished had happened in School's Out—Forever. Enjoy!**

**Oh, and for those of you who have read and liked my Black Dawn story, I should have another chapter up soon, though it has been almost, if not already, about a year(or two) since I last updated it. Sorry. . .**

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing is mine except the slight change in the plot after the italics. **

**So, again, enjoy! **

_I walked down the hall as quickly as I could without making any noise. _

_ Ter Borcht: evil genetic scientist. Gee, one of the family. Had I ever heart that name before? Clearly he must have been involved with Jeb, the School, the whitecoats, at some point. I mean, how many _independent_ evil genetic researchers could there be? Surely they all kept in touch, exchanged notes, built mutants together. . . ._

_ This was a huge breakthrough—or another horribly disappointing dead end. Whichever it was, I couldn't wait to talk to the flock about it. Just as I hurried past an empty classroom, I caught sight of Fang. Excellent I had five minutes till my next class. I started to head in, then realized he wasn't alone. A girl was with him, talking to him, looking earnest. Fang was standing there impassively as she went on, brushing her long dark red hair over her shoulder._

_ I grinned. Poor fang. Was she selling something? Asking him to join the Chess Club?_

_ In the next moment, the girl had put both her hands on Fang's chest and pushed him against the wall. I strode forward, reaching out to yank open the door. Even if she was an Eraser, Fang and I could make mincemeat out of her. _

_ Then I froze. It wasn't an attack. The girl had pressed herself against Fang like static cling, and she went on her tiptoes and kissed him, right on the mouth. Fang stood there for a moment, then his hands came up, holding her around the waist. I waited for him to push her away, hoping he would be sensitive about it, not hurt her feelings. _

_ But I watched, dumfounded, as Fang's hands slid slowly up her back, holding the girl closer. He angled his head so they could kiss better._

_ I stepped back, not breathing, feeling like I was going to hurl._

_ Oh, God._

"Oh, my god." My thought slipped out of my mouth.

And of course Fang, with our enhanced hearing, heard me through the door.

He broke off from the redhead and looked up. Directly at me. We locked eyes for a moment as a swirl of emotions passed through his dark eyes. I didn't have the time to discern these emotions however, as I spun around and dashed down the hall. I tried to put as much of a distance between me and that room as possible when I heard a girly voice call, "Uh, Nick? Where are you going?"

I ran faster, crashing through the door of the girls' bathroom and locking myself in a stall**(A. N. I know this is pretty similar to what happened in the book.)**. I sat on the seat and leaned forward, resting my head on my hands. I took short, gasping breaths and felt as if I had been punched in the stomach.

_Oh God. Oh God, Max. Hold yourself together. Why are you doing this?_

I suddenly heard the bathroom door open and I tried to quiet my breathing, not wanting a poor random girl to be subject to my breakdown.

My stomach dropped further as I heard a familiar masculine voice say, quite calmly, "Max? You in here?"

How could he be so calm, acting as if what just happened was normal? Or . . . maybe it is normal. I stifled a cry of frustration. Instead, I said, "Don't you read, Fang? This is the girls' bathroom. _Girls_. So unless you have some gender complication you kept secret, I suggest you get out."

There was a brief pause as I tried, and failed, to again quiet and slow my breathing.

Fang's shoes appeared in my line of vision behind my stall's door. He softly knocked.

"Are you okay?" His voice was soft, cautious. Worried. It infuriated me further.

"Yes. Of course I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be fine? I'm perfect. Peachy. Perfectly peachy." Oh great, now I sounded like a lunatic.

". . . Then how about you come out?"

I sighed, wiping cold sweat off of my forehead. I stood up, my knees shaking slightly. I took a quiet deep breath and unlocked the door, barreling out of it and past Fang, not even glancing at him.

Unfortunately, that didn't really work so well. He grabbed my arm as I passed. I spun around at him and kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over, having the wind knocked out of him.

I was instantly filled with guilt and regret. What am I thinking? I just lashed out on my best friend!

Absolutely mortified, I turned around, starting towards the door when I heard Fang gasp out, "Max, please."

I paused. Slowly I turned around, watching as Fang gently got back on his feet. If we were under normal circumstances, I might have considered apologizing to him. But right now, I was kind of thinking of kicking him again.

_Get a grip on yourself!_ I told myself.

After a minute Fang got his breath back and looked at me. I saw a flash of regret and something else in his eyes before he put on a mask of nonchalance. Wait, was that other look of . . . smugness? I clenched my jaw.

"Well?"

"Look, I'm sorry. I know what you saw must have been . . . surprising." Surprising? I was hiding my shaking hands behind my back. It was humiliating. Even if I'm not sure why.

"But I don't like Lissa that way." Oh, _Lissa_, the Barbie had a name. "She just kissed me, and I was surprised, not thinking clearly—"

"And why do you think I care? I don't care who you like or who you . . . kiss. It doesn't bother me none."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

"Then why'd you run away?" And then, he added softly, "And why were you crying?"

Crying? I felt my face and sure enough there were wet tear tracks on my cheeks. I wiped them away, flushing. I don't cry. Ever. How could I have not noticed them?

"I . . ." For once in my life, I didn't have a witty comeback. Or any comeback at all. "I don't know." I whispered.

Tentatively, he walked forward. As if I was some wild animal that might bite him if he comes too close or makes any sudden movements.

Smart boy.

Once he was right in front of me, he stopped. He bent down and put his lips to my ear.

"I'm sorry." Sorry? I hadn't heard Fang apologize to anyone in a long time.

Then, without hesitation, he kissed me on the cheek and walked out of the bathroom.

I flushed again. Embarrassment, guilt, confusion and something else swirled inside me. I had a hollow ache in my chest mixed with a fluttering sensation in my stomach. I sat down on the dirty bathroom floor, hiding my burning face in my hands and wishing this day would just be over already.

Like it? Hate it? Love it? Leave reviews! Sorry it's short, but I might make another chapter or something if you guys like it.

So I know this might not be exactly what some of you wanted, but I figured if Fang actually kissed Max right after kissing Lissa it would be sleazy and unrealistic.

Happy reading!

—Regan


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